UPDATED Info + Pics: Canon 8K Cinema EOS camera

UPDATE: 13 October 2015

Canon’s forthcoming 8K EOS Cinema camera has been on show at the Canon Expo in Paris today.

First announced a few weeks ago, the 8K camera will shoot video with a resolution of 35-million-pixels.

According to Canon:

‘Our first 8K camera in the Cinema EOS system will allow you to take incredibly detailed 35 megapixel videos at up to 60fps, while a low aberration 8K lens brings unrivalled clarity and sharpness to the image’. The video stream is split for recording to four recorders in parallel, because the bit rate is so high’

There is currently no scheduled date for the camera to be launched, or any details of price. However, with next year being an Olympic year it is likely that many of the products that Canon have been showcasing at the Expo event may be tested, secretly, during the event.

In an announcement that took most people by surprise, Canon has announced that it is developing an 8k Cinema EOS camera. The camera will have a Super 35 size CMOS sensor, capable of capturing video at a 8,192 x 4,320 pixel (approximately 35.39 million effective pixels) at 60fps. The camera will also be able to downsample 8k to 4k, and will also have the option to shoot a 4k crop.

A new high resolution 8K monitor is also in development that will have a 300 ppi resolution, which is about the limit of human vision, so the quality should look incredible. And to top it all off Canon are also developing a DSLR with a 120-million-pixel resolution.

There is no word on availability or price at the moment, but it is possible that we may see prototypes at IBC or at the Canon Expo, which is held next month.

Here is the press release

United Kingdom, 8 September 2015 – Canon Europe, a leader in imaging solutions, today announces that its parent company, Canon Inc., is developing a Cinema EOS System 8K camera and professional-use 8K reference display that will support the production of next-generation 8K video content, along with a still-image single-lens reflex camera equipped with a CMOS sensor featuring approximately 120 million effective pixels. Through the Company’s proprietary imaging technologies, Canon provides still and video input and output devices that will contribute to the development of imaging culture.

Canon, as a leading company in the field of imaging technology, conducts research and development into devices designed to support cinema and video production with the aim of expanding the boundaries of visual expression. Through the further enhancement of the Cinema EOS System 8K camera and professional-use 8K reference display under development, Canon aims to contribute to smooth production workflows, facilitating not only the input and output of 8K video content, but also such processes as 8K to 4K down-conversion and 4K cropping.

The Cinema EOS System 8K camera being developed will be equipped with a Canon Super 35 mm-equivalent CMOS sensor that makes possible high-resolution 8,192 x 4,320 pixel (approximately 35.39 million effective pixels) imaging performance even at a frame rate of 60 frames per second with 13 stops[i] of dynamic range and a richly expressive wide colour gamut. Additionally, featuring a body size that realises outstanding mobility and a design that delivers high levels of operability, along with an EF mount that offers compatibility with Canon’s extensive interchangeable EF lens lineup[ii], the camera will support diverse shooting styles and means of visual expression.

Incorporating Canon image-processing technology, the ultra-high-resolution 8K reference display currently under development will achieve high brightness, high contrast (high dynamic range) and a wide colour gamut. Additionally, with a pixel density exceeding 300 pixels per inch, a level approaching the limit of human visibility, the display will make possible ultra-realistic imaging that enables the reproduction of subtle changes in light that were previously not possible. Furthermore, when used in combination with the Cinema EOS System 8K camera, the display will be capable of conveying truly impressive levels of visual expression.

Featuring a resolution of approximately 120 effective megapixels, the SLR camera now being developed will incorporate a Canon-developed high-pixel-density CMOS sensor within the current EOS-series platform, which will realise compatibility with the Company’s diverse interchangeable EF lens lineup[iii]. The high-resolution images that the camera will be capable of producing will recreate the three-dimensional texture, feel and presence of subjects, making them appear as if they are really before one’s eyes. The camera will facilitate a level of resolution that is more than sufficient for enlarged poster-sized printout while also enabling images to be cropped and trimmed without sacrificing image resolution and clarity.